


Late

by Halbeary



Category: DCU (Comics), Green Lantern (Comics), The Flash (Comics)
Genre: M/M, also........ dicks, shmoop alert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 19:27:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6533404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halbeary/pseuds/Halbeary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been 48 days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Late

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Crydamoure](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crydamoure/gifts).



> This is a prompt ao3 user [Crydamoure](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Crydamoure/pseuds/Crydamoure) and I have discussed at great length and I decided for her bday it must.. be made a Reality.. it is Time. HAPPY ( _LATE_ ) BIRTHDAY COYOTE!

     Tired blue eyes fixate on the swirl of the satellite feed, the thin green line spiraling around and around on the infuriatingly blank screen. One yellow boot catches against the side of the wall of monitors, sliding down the metal with a quiet _squeak_ that cuts through the overwhelmingly silent conference room. He lets his foot drop, artificial gravity pulling it back down to knock against the base of the chair as he lets out a long breath, stripping his gloves and rubbing at his sleep-deprived eyes.

     He knows he looks awful— both Clark and Diana had commented on the dark circles under his eyes, their gaze filled with _pity_ — but he can’t bring himself to move from this particular chair, this _exact_ position in front of their long-range sensor array, the one that they had upgraded just last month to cover the entire the solar system, using some alien tech that Hal had—

     He can feel the corners of his eyes sting, breath catching painfully in his throat as a _stab_ of pure longing shoots through his chest. Shaking hands press at his eyes, purple spots appearing behind his eyelids as he tries to stop– _don’t think about that_ , _don’t think about how long it’s been since you saw his smile– you have to stay strong, you can’t give up– you have to—_

     His forehead drops to the cold metal of the monitoring station desk, ragged breaths fogging up the unforgiving steel. Bruce had pulled him aside earlier that day, voice more empathetic than he can ever remember it being — ‘ _You can’t keep doing this, Barry– you need to start considering the possibility that he isn’t coming back.’_ The words send a flash of anger through him even now and his fingers curl into a fist, slamming against the metal with a frustrated _thump_.

     It’s been 48 days, 13 hours, 17 minutes and five– _six_ seconds since Hal was scheduled to return from Oa.

     Over _48 days_ of radio silence– not a goddamn word from _any_ of the Green Lanterns. No communications received, no energy signatures registered anywhere on any of their radars– nothing. Absolutely _nothing_.

     “.. _fuck_.”

     His forehead rolls against the metal, lifting briefly to drop back down with a dull _thunk_. It had been early– a little past two in the morning– when Hal had gotten the alert on his ring, and Barry remembers the way Hal had nuzzled into his chest, yawning while mumbling something about _‘cleaning up the smurfs’ messes’—_ remembers how he had stretched, tan muscles rippling under the moonlight filtering in through the window, searching around for his underwear before powering up his ring. Remembers how he had pinned him to the bed one last time– _‘for luck— not that I’ll need it’–_ and given him a **very** thorough kiss before pulling back to brush a thumb over Barry’s cheekbone, lips curled in a fond smile that says more than words ever could– and then he was straddling the window sill, feet dangling out into the night ( ‘ _love you. kick some alien ass’ — ‘you got it, babe’_ )– and he was gone.

     He pries his eyes open, wiping at some of the wetness that had leaked out with a tired swipe. Hal had called him the next day, a quick message from Oa ( ‘ _sorry bar, gonna be a bit longer than usual— they found another manhunter stronghold out in some backwater section of the universe, and they got some weird new tech. should be a standard search and destroy type thing. probably take a week or so earth-time to make sure they’re all cleared out. i’ll bring you back one of their heads for a souvenir’ – ‘please don’t’ – ‘aw, you don’t think it’d look good on the kitchen table? you could put one of those candles you like in it, make it classy’ – ‘no amount of scented candles will make a manhunter head an acceptable centerpiece, hal – ‘you’re no fun— oh, looks like we’re rolling out, gotta fly’ – ‘stay safe, call me when you’re on your way back, ok? love you’ – ‘love you too. see you soon, bar’_ ). That call was a month and a half ago, and still– _nothing_.

     Barry pushes himself off the desk to lean back in the chair, gaze drifting back to the hypnotizing swirl of the radar. He doesn’t blame the others for being worried, knows that he should go get some sleep, should stop taking over monitor duty for the rest of the League, but– but he can’t. _God_ , he _knows_ that Hal wouldn’t do that to him, knows that he would fight tooth and nail to come back to him– that he’s probably just delayed, just holed up somewhere where his ring can’t reach– but still— it’s been so _long_. It’s been over a month since he’s been able to curl around him in bed, to hold him close and keep him safe, and it’s hard, _god–_ it’s so hard to not think– to not let himself think that maybe– _maybe something happened,_ that maybe this time he’s– _he’s_ _not coming back_ —

     He tears his gaze away from the display, focusing it somewhere outside the window, on the smallest, most distant star he can find. Before he can stop himself, his lips part in a quiet, ragged whisper.

     “I miss you.”

     Barry presses his palms to his eyes, wiping away the traitorous wetness that continues to build up in his tear ducts, taking a deep breath to try and bury any thoughts he may have about Hal being captured, held against his will somewhere where he can’t reach him, can’t _help him_ —

     “You have to come back. You need to come back soon because– because I can’t do this without you. I need you here.” His eyes focus on that tiny speck of light, some star millions of lightyears away, on the other side of the galaxy where he can’t possibly hope to reach. “ _I need you_ , so you have to come back, ok? Come back to me.”

     He gets no reply, his words fading into the silence of the room and he slumps back in his chair with a frustrated _sigh_. Another pang of longing shoots through his chest and he grits his teeth, fingers digging into the lightning bolt symbol on his chest as he tries to focus on watching the monitors. _God_ , _he just really misses him—_

     A _blip_ on the screen catches his eye and he jumps in surprise, chair rolling along the metal floor as he skids to a halt in front of the radar. A small green dot, fading in and out with every swirl– and it’s moving _fast_ , too fast to just be a meteor or piece of debris. The dot disappears around Jupiter and Barry holds his breath, pushing himself to his feet and curling his fingers around the edge of the desk. Another soft _beep_ and it reappears somewhere around Mars. Barry shoves the chair back and darts over to the window, staring out in the direction the blip was coming from, hands pressed against the glass as he strains his eyes, trying to see– _god,_ if this is some joke, some glitch in their software he’s going to _scream_ —

     A tiny spec of green light bursts into existence against the blackness of space, growing larger every minute and Barry can’t stop the choked exhale that’s torn from his throat, the _burst_ of hope that hits him as he watches the green light veer towards Earth with a jerky movement before stopping mid-flight, pausing for a moment and then altering course for the Watchtower, coming _directly at him_ –

     He has all of half a second to prepare for a big green blur phasing right through the window and shoving him to the ground, his back hitting the metal floor with a painful _smack_ , but he doesn’t care– _he’s here, he’s safe, oh god– he’s here—_

     “Hal–” his arms curl around his back in an instant, fingers clutching at the familiar brown leather as his uniform fades around him. “Oh god– _Hal—_ ”

     He can feel Hal _shaking_ in his arms, the pilot’s head pressed against his neck, burying his face into the skin of his neck and Barry lets out a relieved _sob_ , tightening his arms around him and tugging him close, one leg curling over Hal’s own and rolling so he can pin him to the ground.

     “– _m’sorry—_ ” the words are muffled against his skin, hot breath from Hal’s mouth seeping into his neck and filling his entire body up with warmth— _he’s back_ – _he’s okay_.

     “ _Shhh_ , hey– it’s okay.” He slips his fingers into Hal’s hair, shifting his head to that he can press a kiss to the side of Hal’s head and rub his fingers along the base of his skull. “You made it– you’re safe. You’re home.”

     Hal sucks in a loud breath, lips pressing into the spot below Barry’s jaw in a sloppy kiss. “ _I’m sorry–_ ” he mouths his way up Barry’s jaw, pausing to rub his nose at the patch of skin under his ear. “ _I’m sorry– I’m so sorry Bar—_ ” shaky lips press all the way up from his ear to his cheek and Barry can’t stand it for a second longer, slipping his hands to cup the side of Hal’s face and tug him close, tilting his jaw and pulling him into a rough kiss.

 _God, he missed this–_ missed the way Hal _moans_ into his mouth as their tongues brush together, missed the way Hal _melts_ against him, whole body shaking with emotion and desperate relief, missed how Hal smells and how he tastes, he just– _he missed him_. Hal's tongue slides against the roof of his mouth, trailing along teeth and dipping over his bottom lip, one trembling hand dragging down the side of his neck and down over his heart, like he's trying to re-memorize the contours of his body ( _and maybe he is– maybe it's been so long that he forgot, maybe he needs a reminder— maybe they both do_ ).

     He tugs his mouth away with _great_ effort, sliding both hands up to cup Hal's face, to trace his fingers along each cheekbone and drag his eyes over every inch of his face, over the tiny scar above his left eyebrow that he loves, over the small furrow of his brow as amber eyes slip closed under the scrutiny, over the dark circles under his eyes– like he hasn’t gotten a good night’s sleep in weeks ( _something that Barry can relate to all too well_ ). Hal leans into the touch, eyes slipping closed as he presses their foreheads together.

     “I'm sorry, I– I tried to– I couldn't get—” he cuts himself off with a ragged ‘ _fuck’_ and his head slips back into the crook of Barry's neck as he lets out a loud _sniff_ , his next words muffled against Barry's skin. “I didn't– didn't want you to think that I—”

     He tugs on the back of Hal's hair but he refuses to budge, one hand clawing desperately at the sleeve of his suit, the other still digging into the logo over his heart.

     “I didn't doubt you for a second.” Barry tilts his head to breathe in the familiar, vaguely metallic smell of space that Hal always has on him, to curl around him even tighter until he's pressed as close to him as he can get. “I knew you were coming back.”

     Hal lets out harsh, vulnerable noise against his skin and Barry rubs his nose against the side of his head, runs his hand up and down Hal's spine– finally able to hold him, finally able to protect him now that he's back, right here in his arms where he belongs.

     “I thought about you every day, every second I was there I was fighting to– to get back to you.” Hal's hand slides up his chest to tangle into the ends of his hair and Barry's breath hitches, fingers digging into the back of Hal's head as he keeps pressing muffled words into his neck. “I wasn't gonna leave you here Bar– I can't do that, I _won't_ do that—”

     “Hun, _hey_ – I know that, I know you wouldn't–” he finally manages to dig Hal's head out of his neck and reaches to wipe away the wetness below his eyes, to brush a finger over one disheveled eyebrow. He smiles then, eyes crinkling as his mouth curls in the first real smile he's had in over a month and he can't resist leaning down again, pressing Hal back into the floor with a soft kiss.

     “ _God_ –” he hears Hal's words when he pulls back for a breath, each syllable gasped between desperate lips. “I missed you so much.”

     Barry's breath catches at that, pulling back to press a soft kiss right below Hal's jaw, mouthing down the side of his neck while his hand twists in Hal's chocolate strands. One foot sneaks under Hal's calf and he rolls them along the metal floor, flipping their positions until Hal's on top, straddling his legs and he let's out a pleased _hum_ as Hal drops forward and presses their lips back together. Hal rolls his hips, button of his jeans digging into the stretchy fabric of his suit and Barry _gasps_ into his mouth, the glide of tongue against tongue suddenly becoming less gentle, a lot more desperate **.**

     Hal grinds his hips against his own, sparks of heat flooding through his entire body at the contact– jesus _christ— it’s been too long_. He pushes himself off the floor so that they’re chest to chest, mouth still firmly attached to Hal’s lips as he slides a shaking hand down Hal’s neck, over the soft, familiar fur collar of Hal’s jacket, slipping under the leather and dipping his thumb into the collar of his shirt. Hal _groans_ as his fingers trail over soft chest hair, shifting his hips down with a desperate sounding _whine_. Barry slides both arms into Hal’s jacket, curling them around his lower back and tugging him as close as he can get, sucking lightly on Hal’s lower lip as his hips _jerk_ of their own volition, both of them _groaning_ at the sensation.

     “Barry– _Bar,_ please—” Hal’s fingers shake as they fumble at the collar of Barry’s suit, trying to find the hidden zipper and making a frustrated noise when he can’t. Barry reaches up to help him out, tugging at the zipper to his suit and dragging it down his chest, letting out a breathless _moan_ when Hal’s hands slip inside, fingers trailing over hot skin as he slip his tongue back into Barry’s mouth, free hand reaching to cup his cheek, thumb brushing over the unshaven stubble on his jaw. Barry’s hands slide further down on Hal’s back, slipping under the bottom of his shirt and rubbing at the base of his spine protectively. Hal _gasps_ into his mouth, pressing their foreheads together as he _rolls_ his hips down, whole body trembling in Barry’s hold as fresh tears leak from the corner of his eyes.

     “It’s okay, _shh_ – you’re okay. I got you.” His own eyes _sting_ as he rubs up and down Hal’s back, overwhelmed by the sensation of finally getting to _hold_ him again, of finally having him so close, so tangible and real– right on top of him. Hal’s still shaking, sweaty hands pressing against any bare skin that he can get at, body pressed against him as tight as possible like he’s trying to crawl into Barry’s warmth and never leave, every word that leaves Barry’s lips just making him scoot _closer_ , making him twitch and whine with barely restrained desperation. He sucks in a wet-sounding breath, kissing up Hal’s face to gently nose at the corner of one eye before pressing his lips against the fresh tears. Barry kisses up the side of his nose, up over the furrow of his brow and presses a final one to the middle of his forehead before choking out another “— I got you _._ ”

     Hal lets out another quiet _sob_ and Barry bends down to capture the noise with his lips, dipping his fingertips under the waistband of Hal’s jeans. He swallows Hal’s resulting _gasp_ , a breathless _‘– Barry’_ lost somewhere between their mouths and he slips his fingers to rest on Hal’s ass, digging into the muscle with _intent_. Hal tears his mouth away with a loud _moan_ , the noise echoing around the otherwise silent conference room, and _god_ , Barry missed that sound– missed all the sounds Hal makes, missed every unrestrained laugh and petulant whine, missed his quiet snores and the gentle sound of Hal breathing against his chest. It’s been so goddamn _quiet_ without him here, and he doesn’t even care that they’re grinding against each other in the middle of the meeting room— he wants more of those _sounds_.

     Barry shoves at the sleeves of Hal’s coat and Hal _moans_ in encouragement, shedding the worn leather and letting it drop to the floor before pressing back into him with renewed desperation. “ _Yes_ , Barry– _god— I need you–_ ” he reaches back down into Barry’s suit, fingers brushing over the waistband of Barry’s boxers in a light, _teasing_ way that makes Barry’s hips _jerk_ upward, hard flesh grinding against hard flesh and they both _gasp_ at the sudden friction. Blue eyes shoot open and he tries to think– _where_ –? He spies the conference table a few feet behind him and makes a split-second decision, lifting under Hal’s thighs with ease and setting him down on the cold metal surface before Hal can even blink.

     He steps in between Hal’s legs, hips slotting together like two puzzle pieces and Hal reaches for the collar of his suit, trying to tug the openings down his arms but Barry can’t seem to stop _touching_ long enough to escape the confines of the red fabric, lips dragging down Hal’s neck to suck right above his collarbone, one hand reaching to tug at the hem of Hal’s shirt. Hal pulls back long enough to shrug his shirt over his head, haphazardly throwing it onto the table behind him and moves to pull Barry in for another heated kiss when Barry throws out an arm to stop him– blue eyes fixated on his chest.

     There’s a huge, fading yellow bruise across his sternum, another bright purple one on the side of his ribs. A long scar runs diagonally across his pectoral, all the way down to his right rib, and there’s something that looks suspiciously like a _burn mark_ along one of his abs. Barry’s breath catches in his throat as he runs his fingers along the scar– it’s already mostly healed, but it had to have cut deep for it to have left this deep a line, had to have hurt for _days_.. and he wasn’t even _there_. He can feel his eyes start to water again— this probably happened _weeks ago_.

     “ _Hey_ – I’m okay.” He tears his eyes away from the line of red against tanned skin, taking comfort in the softness of Hal’s expression, in the tiny quirk of his mouth. Hal reaches up to cover his hand with his own, giving his fingers a reassuring _squeeze_ as he speaks again, quieter this time. “I’m fine, Bar— _promise_.”

     Barry lets out a long breath, fingers shifting under Hal’s against his chest before reaching up to run his thumb over the corner of Hal’s mouth, his own lips lifting in a fond smile. His eyes flick down to the scar on Hal’s chest once more, and he wants to— he darts over to where Hal’s jacket is lying on the ground, sprinting back to the table and laying it out on the table before gently shoving Hal down onto it. He can _see_ Hal’s pupils dilate from underneath him and it sends a flash of heat coursing through his body, sparking through every nerve as he braces his arms on either side of Hal’s body and leans down to press his lips to the tip of the harsh red line.

     “ _Ah!–_ ” Hal _squirms_ against the table, one hand reaching to thread his fingers into Barry’s hair as Barry mouths his way down the scar, memorizing every new addition to Hal’s battered skin– making sure to be _thorough_. He gets to the end of trail and plants one final, loving kiss to the thin line before making his way back _inward_ , one hand moving to the inside of Hal’s thigh and pulling it back towards his chest. He noses at the soft brown hairs, pressing another light kiss to the small burn mark on his lower ab.

     “Barry— _please–_ ”

     He wants to keep going– to inspect every inch of Hal’s skin to make sure that he’s really okay, but every shift of the bulge in Hal’s jeans pressing against his chest is making him _itch_ to press bare skin against bare skin, making him _desperate_ to bury himself inside him, to press himself as _close_ to Hal as he possibly can. He presses one last kiss to the spot just above his jeans before reaching with a shaking hand to undo the metal button, to drag Hal’s zipper down as Hal _moans_ in encouragement. Barry has his jeans stripped and tossed over his shoulder in a second, boxers following suit in a _flash_.

     Hal pushes himself off the table to tug him close to fuck his tongue into Barry’s mouth, all gentleness forgotten as Barry drags his suit down off his arms, letting it pool around his hips to press their chests together. The warmth of Hal’s chest feels incredible, feels _amazing_ against his own and he didn’t realise how cold he’s been without Hal’s body slotted against his, without Hal’s hands digging into his lower back, trying to get him closer. The rough fabric of Barry’s suit drags against Hal’s cock and he _shudders_ , sucking in a harsh breath as he tries to shove down Barry’s suit with renewed vigor.

     “Jesus _christ_ Barry– you need to fuck me, you need to fuck me _right now_ —” Hal’s hand glows a bright green and it’s disappearing, fumbling into an empty hole in _space_ before tugging out a clear bottle of lube and pressing it into Barry’s shaking hands, sinking back against the table and hooking a calf around Barry’s thigh, tugging him closer with a _whine_.

     “ _Y-yeah_ , okay– just let me—” he pops the cap on the lube, smearing some of the liquid on his fingers before slipping a hand under Hal’s knee and dragging it back against his chest, pressing a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss to the inside of his thigh. His finger slides into Hal without warning, too goddamn _desperate_ at this point to keep things slow, to drag this out as long as possible until Hal’s _writhing_ against the table-top. Hal shouts a loud ‘ _fuck! God– yes—’_ head thrown back against his jacket, eyes fixated on Barry’s own as he pumps his finger, _moaning_ at the feeling of Hal’s tight heat around him. Hal’s thighs spread further, bracing his other leg against Barry’s chest as he shoves his hips down to meet Barry’s fingers with a _whimper_.

     “Oh my _god,_ babe– you look—” he has to pause to press the palm of his hand to his own dick to stop from coming just from the _sight_ of him, the confines of his boxers suddenly unbearably tight. Hal _moans_ again, louder this time and he jerks his finger out with a quick movement, re-coating his hand with more lube before pressing back in with two. Hal’s whole body _jerks_ , the table rattling with the motion and Barry can’t help but lean down to bite at his neck, to savor every loud moan and shout that is torn from Hal’s lips. Every sound echoes around the room and he _loves it_ – _god, he loves him_ —

     “Are you– can you–” his voice sounds strained, raspy with emotion and he pumps his fingers again, curling them on the out-stroke and biting his lip when Hal _writhes_ beneath him.

     “ _Yes– fuck, Bar—_ get in me–”

     He doesn’t need to be told twice, fingers slipping out to shove his suit and boxers down his thighs with a sharp tug, grabbing desperately for the bottle of lube and smearing a thick coating over his rock-hard cock. Barry digs his fingers into Hal’s hips, pulling him to the edge of the table, spreading his thighs as wide as they will go before pushing into him all at once.

     “ _Ah–_ fuck—” he doesn’t stop until he’s bottomed out, half-lidded eyes watching the way Hal’s whole body tenses, head thrown back against the table as he shouts out a loud ‘ _FUCK!’_ , muscles clenching around his cock so tightly that he has to slam his eyes closed and grit his teeth to stop from coming. Hal feels _so good_ — he almost forgot the way they fit together so perfectly, the way he fits between Hal’s thighs like they were made for each other. He can feel his eyes tearing up again, can feel the thick swell of emotion bubble up in his throat and he has to grab at Hal’s hand gripping the edge of the table, twisting their fingers together as he leans down to press his shaking lips to Hal’s own. He pulls back just far enough so that their breaths are still mingling between them, nose pressing into the light dusting of stubble on Hal’s upper lip.

     “I love you.” His free hand slides up to cup Hal’s cheek, to brush over his cheekbone and tug him in for another soft kiss, muffling the sound of Hal’s choked response with his lips. He slides his hips back and _slams_ them back in, the table beneath them giving a loud _creak_ as Hal moans, the noise bouncing off the Watchtower walls and filling the silence with such _life_ , that _thing_ that’s been missing for the past forty-eight days. Barry _rolls_ his hips, biting at Hal’s neck and whispering out another “— _god, I love you so much–_ ” into his skin, pressing the words into every inch of him he can reach as he drags his cock _in_ and _out_ , the wet sound of skin slapping against skin punctuated by Hal’s _gasps_ and _moans_ , those gorgeous sounds that Barry _loves_.

     Neither of them are going to last very long— he can tell Hal’s getting close, can feel it in the way he shoves his hips down to meet him with sharp, uncoordinated movements, can feel the way his muscles _clench_ around his dick and he has to push off Hal’s chest, has to watch as Hal comes undone underneath him. Hal’s face is flushed, whole body covered in a thin sheen of sweat, fingers digging into Barry’s own so _tightly–_ he picks up the pace, reaching to hold Hal’s hip with his free hand and bends his knees a little to change the angle, thrusting _up_ into him and Hal _yells_ —

     “ _Fuck!_ Barry– _I’m– fuck!_ ” He angles his hips again, and _again_ , refusing to let go of Hal’s hand as he buries his cock deep inside him, breath catching in his throat as molten heat builds up at the base of his spine, urging him forward, urging him _deeper_ – he reaches for Hal’s dick, wrapping hot fingers around hard flesh and Hal _shouts_ his name, every muscle clenching tight as he throws his head back and comes with a loud _sob_ , legs wrapped tight around Barry’s hips. Barry freezes, the sight of Hal coming under him, hot white liquid shooting up his chest, dripping down the side of his ribs and onto the _goddamn conference table_ proving too much as he comes _hard_ , still slamming his hips into Hal’s tight heat, drawing out every loud _moan_ and _sob_ from Hal that he can as he empties himself in his body.

     He waits until Hal bats at his hand with a weak motion to gently ease himself so that he's half on top of Hal's chest, mindful of his bruises. The table is uncomfortably cold under his side, and he has to take a moment to consider the fact that he'll _never_ be able to look at this table again without blushing. Hal turns his head then, brown eyes staring into his own, sleepy smile on his face, and Barry forgets all about the security feed he'll have to get Hal to erase, forgets about the very _thorough_ scrub he’ll have to do to the table, forgets about the last month and a half of sleepless nights and desperate longing— none of that matters now. _Hal's here– he's back._

     He inches his nose forward, rubbing it against Hal's own and lets out a quiet laugh as Hal's face scrunches up in a familiar frown. His hand slides up to cup Hal's cheek, to tug his head so that their foreheads press together, to nuzzle his face into Hal's own and just– takes a moment to _bask_ in the feeling of Hal's body pressed against his own, still buried deep inside him, sweat cooling between their bodies. All the tension and stress has melted out of him, chased away by Hal's comforting warmth— he doesn’t think he's been more content in his entire _life_. He let's out another, almost _giddy_ laugh, hooking his arms around Hal's back to tug him on top of him, back digging into the metal table uncomfortably but he ignores it, just focusing on the feeling of Hal's heart beating against his own, on the little _moan_ Hal makes when he shifts inside him, on the feeling of Hal's palm digging into his own, still holding on so tightly as he turns his head into Barry's neck and plants a soft kiss to his skin.

     He runs a hand down Hal's back, dragging fingers over every bump in Hal's spine, pausing when Hal lets out a quiet _hiss_. Barry lifts his head, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

     “You said you were _fine_.”

     “ _Yup– m’fine–_ ” Hal's voice is muffled by his neck, slurred and exhausted sounding. Barry rolls his eyes. He doesn't know why he bothers even _asking_ Hal if he's ok— he's seen him say he's fine while literally coughing up _blood_. He runs his hand back up Hal's back, lighter this time, before slipping it into Hal's hair and rubbing at the base of his skull. Hal lets out a pleased _hum_ and Barry can't help but smile, to tilt his jaw down to press a kiss to the top of Hal's head.

     “Let's go home.”

     Hal's hand tightens against his own, lips brushing against his neck in a way that makes Barry's fingers slip back down to Hal's lower back, tightening around his body protectively. He can feel Hal mouth a quiet _“—m’kay”_ into his skin, but he doesn't move, just turns his head further into Barry's neck and slumps a little heavier, curls his legs around Barry's own a little more snugly. Barry presses another kiss to the top of his head, ruffling Hal’s hair affectionately before letting the last of his adrenaline fade from his body, tugging the pilot up to rest more comfortably against his chest, content to just hold him in his arms.

     “ _Alright–_ few more minutes.”

**Author's Note:**

>  **batman, the next day:** * _narrows eyes at conference table spot_ * ..... (internally) is that.. GL's ass imprint?


End file.
